The Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms are high-performance 1RU and 3RU routers for aggregation, secure WAN, cloud connectivity, high-speed routing, and service-rich edge deployments. The portfolio combines hardware-accelerated IPsec and MACsec, Cisco IOS XE, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN support, programmable management interfaces, flexible 1GE through 100GE connectivity, and software-based control-plane redundancy.
Platform selection
The Catalyst 8500 family contains three Catalyst 8500 Edge Platform models and one Catalyst 8500L Edge Platform model. The C8500-20X6C is the highest-density system, with 800 Gbps of aggregate interface bandwidth and simultaneous operation of all interfaces. The C8500-12X4QC provides mixed 1GE, 10GE, 40GE, and 100GE connectivity in a 1RU chassis. The C8500-12X is a 12-port 1/10GE platform. The C8500L-8S4X is a lower-density 1RU platform with four 1/10GE ports and eight 1GE ports.
| Model | Interface configuration | Maximum port profile | Form factor | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C8500-20X6C | 20 x 1/10GE and 6 x 40/100GE | 20 x 1GE, 20 x 10GE, 6 x 40GE, or 6 x 100GE; combinations supported | 3RU | High-capacity aggregation, large SD-WAN hubs, cloud and service-provider edge |
| C8500-12X4QC | 12 x 1/10GE, 2 x 40/100GE, and 2 x 40GE | Up to 240GE enabled simultaneously | 1RU | Mixed-speed aggregation where 40GE and 100GE uplinks are required |
| C8500-12X | 12 x 1/10GE | 12 x 1GE or 12 x 10GE | 1RU | Compact 10GE WAN aggregation and enterprise edge routing |
| C8500L-8S4X | 8 x 1GE and 4 x 1/10GE | 12 x 1GE or 4 x 10GE | 1RU | Branch aggregation, smaller cloud edges, and service-rich sites with moderate throughput |
The C8500-12X4QC supports breakout from QSFP 40G ports to four 10GE interfaces per port. With breakout, up to 24 10GE interfaces can be configured, but this mode is not supported in SD-WAN mode. When Bay 1 on the C8500-12X4QC is configured for 100GE, no other ports in Bay 0 or Bay 1 are available.
Architecture and operating modes
Catalyst 8500 Edge Platforms use a third-generation Cisco Quantum Flow Processor. The processor provides inline hardware-accelerated encryption for IPsec and MACsec and supports high-performance routing and service processing. The platform documentation specifies up to five times higher IPsec throughput than second-generation QFP devices.
The systems use Intel x86 control processors. Standard DRAM is 16 GB on the Catalyst 8500 platforms, with 32 GB and 64 GB options. The C8500-20X6C includes 64 GB by default. Catalyst 8500 platforms use 32 GB eUSB storage by default, with an optional 480 GB M.2 SATA SSD. The C8500-20X6C includes the 480 GB SSD by default. The C8500L-8S4X uses 16 GB eUSB storage by default, supports 32 GB eUSB storage, and provides an optional 2 TB M.2 NVMe SSD.
Two operating models are documented:
- Controller mode: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, including overlay tunnels, application-aware routing, service insertion, segmentation, centralized policy, and integrated security services.
- Autonomous mode: Cisco IOS XE routing with conventional routing, VPN, firewall, NAT, QoS, multicast, MPLS, broadband, and other routing features.
All models support two Cisco IOS processes on a single device in IOS XE routing mode. The documentation also identifies box-to-box application-level redundancy for autonomous-mode software features. Hardware-anchored Secure Boot and Secure Unique Device Identification support hardware identity validation and Plug and Play workflows.
Performance and scalability
Performance values depend on traffic size, operating mode, enabled services, software configuration, and the selected model. The figures below are maximum published values rather than recommended continuous design targets.
SD-WAN controller mode
| Metric | C8500-20X6C | C8500-12X4QC | C8500-12X | C8500L-8S4X |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPsec throughput, 1400-byte clear text | Up to 350 Gbps | Up to 96 Gbps | Up to 51 Gbps | Up to 19 Gbps |
| IPsec throughput, IMIX clear text | Up to 100 Gbps | Up to 31.9 Gbps | Up to 22.6 Gbps | Up to 10 Gbps |
| SD-WAN overlay tunnels | 8,000; 10,000 with applicable software | 8,000; 10,000 with applicable software | 8,000; 10,000 with applicable software | 6,000; 8,000 with applicable software |
IMIX is specified as an average packet size of 352 bytes. The C8500L-8S4X supports up to 19 Gbps of IPsec throughput using 1400-byte clear-text traffic. Its published multi-layer security results are up to 5.9 Gbps for a traffic mix containing 50 percent IQDF and 50 percent DIA with NAT, next-generation firewall, IPS, URL filtering, and AMP. For DIA with NAT, next-generation firewall, IPS, URL filtering, and AMP, the published result is up to 4 Gbps.
Autonomous mode
| Metric | C8500-20X6C | C8500-12X4QC | C8500-12X | C8500L-8S4X |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPv4 forwarding, 1400-byte traffic | Up to 500 Gbps | Up to 197 Gbps | Up to 118 Gbps | Up to 39 Gbps |
| IPsec, 1400-byte clear text | Up to 400 Gbps | Up to 135 Gbps | Up to 84 Gbps | Up to 19 Gbps |
| IPsec SVTI tunnels | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| ACLs per system | 8,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| IPv4 ACEs per system | 380,000 | 380,000 | 47,000 | 50,000 |
| IPv4 routes | 7 million with default 64 GB; 16 million with applicable 64 GB configuration | 4 million with default 16 GB | 4 million with default 16 GB | 4 million with default 16 GB |
| IPv6 routes | 7 million with default 64 GB; 16 million with applicable 64 GB configuration | 4 million with default 16 GB | 4 million with default 16 GB | 4 million with default 16 GB |
| Queues | 256,000 | 256,000 | 256,000 | 16,000 |
| NAT sessions | 32 million | 16 million | 12 million | 2 million |
| Firewall sessions | 32 million | 6 million | 6 million | 2 million |
| VRFs | 8,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 |
The higher memory configuration is material for route-scale designs on the C8500-20X6C. Memory should be selected before ordering when the design requires large IPv4 or IPv6 tables, extensive control-plane services, ThousandEyes operation alongside containerized security services, or substantial policy scale.
Software and feature coverage
Autonomous-mode protocols and functions include IPv4, IPv6, static routing, RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, BGP route reflector, IS-IS, IGMPv3, PIM-SM, PIM-SSM, RSVP, BFD, MPLS, Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPN, EVPN, VXLAN, Segment Routing, LISP, HSRP, VRFs, IPsec, WAN MACsec, L2TPv3, DHCP, DNS, RADIUS, AAA, ACLs, EVC, ERSPAN, IPSLA, EEM, Call Home, and broadband functions. Encapsulations include GRE, Ethernet, 802.1Q VLAN, PPP, MLPPP, HDLC, and PPPoE.
Traffic-management features include QoS, CBWFQ, WRED, hierarchical QoS, policy-based routing, and NBAR. Autonomous-mode cryptographic support includes DES, 3DES, AES-128, AES-256 in CBC and GCM modes, RSA, ECDSA, MD5, SHA, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512.
Controller-mode features include OMP, application-aware routing, traffic engineering, service insertion, segmentation, zero-trust controls, DTLS/TLS, IPsec, NAT, VRRP, ACLs, BFD, Netconf over SSH, SNMP, syslog, Cflowd v10, IPFIX export, multi-VRF, multicast AAR, dynamic on-demand tunnels, and route policies. Application-experience features include QoS, FEC, COS marking, WRED, hierarchical QoS, NBAR, SD-AVC, per-tunnel QoS, SaaS traffic steering, Office 365 traffic steering, DIA, and Flexible NetFlow.
Security functions include VPN segmentation, zone-based firewall, PKI, DNS-layer security, Umbrella and Zscaler security gateway integration, and ALG for zone-based firewall. ThousandEyes is natively integrated on eligible platforms with more than 8 GB of DRAM and 8 GB of bootflash or storage. Additional memory and storage may be required when the agent runs concurrently with containerized SD-WAN security services.
Minimum software requirements are:
| Platform | Minimum software requirement | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| C8500-20X6C | Cisco IOS XE Software Release 17.10.1 | High-density Catalyst 8500 deployments |
| C8500-12X4QC | Cisco IOS XE Software Release 17.3.2 | Mixed 40GE, 100GE, and 10GE aggregation |
| C8500-12X | Cisco IOS XE Software Release 17.3.2 | 12-port 1/10GE routing |
| C8500L-8S4X | Cisco IOS XE Software Release 17.4.1a | Lower-density 1GE and 10GE edge services |
Presales sizing rules
- Select the operating mode before sizing throughput. SD-WAN IPsec figures and autonomous-mode IPsec figures are separate measurements.
- Use IMIX results for mixed-packet WAN estimates rather than 1400-byte results.
- Subtract capacity for encryption, firewall, NAT, DPI, IPS, URL filtering, AMP, QoS, and flow-monitoring services when those functions are enabled together.
- Do not treat aggregate port bandwidth as guaranteed service throughput. The C8500-20X6C provides 800 Gbps of interface bandwidth, while published forwarding and IPsec values are separate performance measurements.
- Validate port-channel, breakout, and bay restrictions on the C8500-12X4QC before finalizing the port map.
- Select memory based on route count, policy scale, hosted agents, and containerized services. The 64 GB configuration is required for the documented highest route-scale values on the C8500-20X6C.
- Size overlay tunnels by model and software entitlement. The C8500L-8S4X has lower tunnel scale than the other models.
- Treat the published security results for the C8500L-8S4X as workload-specific test results, not as a universal firewall throughput value.
- Specify redundant power feeds and separate power circuits where availability requirements justify them.
- Allow rack depth, airflow, acoustic output, heat dissipation, and power-circuit capacity in the site survey.
Power, environmental, and physical planning
The C8500-20X6C is a 3RU chassis measuring 5.22 inches high by 17.25 inches wide by 26.85 inches deep. Its chassis weight is 77.5 pounds with four AC power supplies or 75 pounds with three AC power supplies. Heat dissipation is 3,753 BTU/hr typical and 5,118 BTU/hr maximum.
The C8500-12X4QC measures 1.73 by 17.50 by 18.46 inches and weighs 20.75 pounds. Heat dissipation is 1,023.6 BTU/hr typical and 1,706.1 BTU/hr maximum. The C8500-12X measures the same and weighs 20.25 pounds, with 682.4 BTU/hr typical and 1,023.6 BTU/hr maximum heat dissipation. The C8500L-8S4X measures 1.73 by 17.50 by 16.25 inches, weighs 17 pounds, and dissipates 511 BTU/hr typical and 1,057 BTU/hr maximum.
The C8500-20X6C operates from 90 to 264 VAC or -40 to -72 VDC. The C8500-12X and C8500-12X4QC operate from 85 to 264 VAC or -40 to -72 VDC. The C8500L-8S4X supports 85 to 264 VAC, -40 to -72 VDC, 100 to 277 VAC high-voltage AC, and 240 to 380 VDC high-voltage DC.
The C8500-20X6C, C8500-12X, and C8500-12X4QC operate from 32 to 104 F, or 0 to 40 C. Storage temperature is -40 to 150 F, or -40 to 70 C. Operating humidity is 10 to 85 percent noncondensing; nonoperating and storage humidity is 5 to 95 percent noncondensing. The platforms support -500 to 10,000 feet altitude and meet NEBS GR-1089 and GR-63 criteria.
| Model | MTBF | Typical sound pressure | Maximum sound pressure | Typical sound power | Maximum sound power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C8500-20X6C | 241,225 hours | 63.3 dBA | 79.3 dBA | 77.4 dBA | 93.3 dBA |
| C8500-12X4QC | 146,700 hours | 61.1 dBA | 69.8 dBA | 75.1 dBA | 83.8 dBA |
| C8500-12X | 156,200 hours | 61.1 dBA | 69.8 dBA | 75.1 dBA | 83.8 dBA |
| C8500L-8S4X | 240,200 hours | 57 dBA | 76 dBA | 64 dBA | 82 dBA |
The C8500-20X6C supports up to four power-supply slots and requires at least two populated and powered supplies. Its AC supply is rated at 1100W and its DC supply at 950W. The C8500-12X and C8500-12X4QC use 750W AC or 950W DC supplies. The C8500L-8S4X supports 424W AC, 400W DC, or 500W high-voltage power supplies.
Ordering matrix
Platforms and subscriptions
| SKU | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| L-DNA-C8500 | Cisco C8500 subscription | Required software subscription for Catalyst 8500 platforms |
| C8500-20X6C | C8500-20X6C Edge Platform | Maximum port density and throughput |
| C8500-12X4QC | C8500-12X4QC Edge Platform | 40GE and 100GE aggregation in 1RU |
| C8500-12X | C8500-12X Edge Platform | 12-port 1/10GE routing |
| C8500L-8S4X | C8500L-8S4X Edge Platform | Compact 1GE and 10GE service edge |
Power, memory, and storage
| SKU | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| PWR-CH1-1100WAC | C8500 1100W AC power | C8500-20X6C AC operation |
| PWR-CH1-1100WAC= | 1100W AC power spare | Field replacement |
| PWR-CH1-750WACR | C8500 750W AC power | C8500-12X and C8500-12X4QC AC operation |
| PWR-CH1-750WACR= | 750W AC power spare | Field replacement |
| PWR-CH1-950WDCR | C8500 950W DC power | C8500-20X6C, C8500-12X, and C8500-12X4QC DC operation |
| PWR-CH1-950WDCR= | 950W DC power spare | Field replacement |
| PWR-CH1-400WAC | C8500L 400W AC power | C8500L AC operation |
| PWR-CH1-400WAC= | 400W AC power spare | Field replacement |
| PWR-CH1-400WDCR | C8500L 400W DC power | C8500L DC operation |
| PWR-CH1-400WDC= | 400W DC power spare | Field replacement |
| PWR-CC1-400WHV | C8500L 400W high-voltage power | High-voltage AC or DC sites |
| PWR-CC1-400WHV= | High-voltage power spare | Field replacement |
| MEM-C8500-16GB= | C8500 16 GB memory spare | Replacement of default memory |
| MEM-C8500-32GB | C8500 32 GB memory | Higher routing and service scale |
| MEM-C8500-32GB= | C8500 32 GB memory spare | Field replacement |
| MEM-C8500-64GB | C8500 64 GB memory | Maximum C8500 memory scale |
| MEM-C8500-64GB= | C8500 64 GB memory spare | Field replacement |
| MEM-C8500L-16GB= | C8500L 16 GB memory spare | Replacement of default memory |
| MEM-C8500L-32GB | C8500L 32 GB memory | Higher C8500L service scale |
| MEM-C8500L-32GB= | C8500L 32 GB memory spare | Field replacement |
| MEM-C8500L-64GB | C8500L 64 GB memory | Maximum C8500L memory scale |
| MEM-C8500L-64GB= | C8500L 64 GB memory spare | Field replacement |
| SSD-M2SATA-480G | C8500 480 GB M.2 SATA SSD | Storage expansion and hosted services |
| SSD-M2SATA-480G= | 480 GB M.2 SATA SSD spare | Field replacement |
| SSD-M2NVME-2T | C8500L 2 TB M.2 NVMe SSD | Large C8500L local storage requirement |
| SSD-M2NVME-2T= | 2 TB M.2 NVMe SSD spare | Field replacement |
Accessories and replacement components
| SKU | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| C8500-FAN-3R= | C8500 3RU fan tray spare | C8500-20X6C maintenance |
| C8500-FAN-1R= | C8500 1RU fan tray spare | C8500 1RU maintenance |
| C8500L-FAN-1R= | C8500L 1RU fan tray spare | C8500L maintenance |
| C8500-ACCKIT3R-19 | C8500 3RU 19-inch accessory kit | C8500-20X6C rack installation |
| C8500-ACCKIT3R-19= | 3RU 19-inch accessory kit spare | Replacement hardware |
| C8500-ACCKIT-19 | C8500 19-inch accessory kit | 1RU 19-inch rack installation |
| C8500-ACCKIT-19= | 19-inch accessory kit spare | Replacement hardware |
| C8500-ACCKIT-23 | C8500 23-inch accessory kit | 23-inch rack installation |
| C8500-ACCKIT-23= | 23-inch accessory kit spare | Replacement hardware |
| C8500-4PT-KIT | C8500 four-post kit | Four-post rack installation |
| C8500-4PT-KIT= | C8500 four-post kit spare | Replacement hardware |
| C8500L-RM-19-1R | C8500L 19-inch accessory kit | C8500L rack installation |
| C8500L-RM-19-1R= | C8500L 19-inch kit spare | Replacement hardware |
| C8500L-RM-23-1R | C8500L 23-inch accessory kit | C8500L 23-inch rack installation |
| C8500L-RM-23-1R= | C8500L 23-inch kit spare | Replacement hardware |
| C8500L-4PT-KIT | C8500L four-post kit | C8500L four-post rack installation |
| C8500L-4PT-KIT= | C8500L four-post kit spare | Replacement hardware |
| C8500-FILTER-ASSY | C8500 NEBS Level 3 filter and assembly | Filtered deployment environments |
| C8500-NEB3-FILTER= | NEBS Level 3 filter replacement spare | Field replacement |
| C8500-RFID-3R | C8500 3RU RFID | Asset identification |
| C8500-RFID-1R | C8500 1RU RFID | Asset identification |
| C-RFID-1R | Catalyst 8000 1RU RFID | C8500L asset identification |
Licensing, warranty, and services
All Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms initially require a Cisco DNA Advantage Software subscription. Cisco Smart Licensing uses a Smart Account and pooled software entitlements rather than product activation keys. A valid ThousandEyes agent license is required to activate the ThousandEyes agent.
The standard hardware entitlement is a Cisco Limited 1-Year Return To Factory Hardware Warranty. Hardware support and software support are separate considerations. Cisco Solution Support is the default and recommended support service for Catalyst 8000 platforms, but it may be replaced by another Cisco or partner service. When Solution Support is selected, it must be ordered for both the Catalyst 8000 platform and the Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing for complete entitlement.
Cisco Solution Support provides a primary support contact, solution and interoperability expertise, coordinated product support, multiproduct and multivendor issue management, and a 30-minute service response objective for Severity 1 and Severity 2 cases. Cisco Subscription Embedded Software Support provides software troubleshooting, online case submission, TAC access, and software resources, but it does not cover Catalyst 8000 hardware. Hardware support must therefore be purchased separately when embedded software support is used.